


A sunny day

by Ohdarlingifonlyyouknew



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Mostly fluff though, Young Dean Winchester, Young Sam Winchester, Young Winchesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 19:19:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4274955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohdarlingifonlyyouknew/pseuds/Ohdarlingifonlyyouknew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a sunny day, and John takes the boys to cool off in the river. All the fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A sunny day

**Author's Note:**

> Fluff _again_!? And without a prompt too!?! But I write dark stuff! I am the night!!!
> 
> ... I blame you guys.
> 
> But seriously though, I'm on holiday, it's sunny here, I have a river at the end of the street here. This was probably bound to happen.
> 
> Also, I wrote this on my phone since I was forced to leave my laptop behind _for two weeks_ *cries*, so it might be a teensy bit sloppier than usual.

It's a sunny day.

John is sitting in a folding chair that he's rented for the day, watching his boys play on the pebble beach that lines the river bank. Dean might only be seven, but he's behaving exemplary, both watching Sammy and keeping half an eye on John to make sure he always knows what direction to run to when something goes wrong.

When John heard on the radio that it was going to be 91℉ and sunny, he couldn't just keep driving, especially with the car being black and without airconditioning. It would kill the boys. And him too, probably. So instead he headed for the closest source of water the locals knew of, rented a folding chair for himself and a bucket and spade for the boys, bought a couple of cold ones and settled down on the little beach.

There aren't many other kids around, or adults for that matter, but that's okay. It's easier to keep the boys in sight this way. And watching the boys is all he wants to do right now.

Ever since Mary died three years ago, the world has felt darker, grim. But watching the boys play right now is like a ray of sunshine breaking through the heavy rain clouds.

"Dean, pwetty wock," Sammy beams, holding out a white-speckled pebble to his older brother. Dean takes it carefully and smiles back.

"Yeah, Sammy, you're right, it's pretty!" He lowers his voice to a dramatic whisper then. "You wanna know how I can make it even prettier?"

The toddler's eyes widen like he's just been told he can meet the Easter bunny in real life. He makes grabby hands at his older brother. "Dean, show!"

"Alright, Squirt, don't be so bossy," Dean replies, but he's grinning, because he gets to play the cool big brother instead of the guardian for once. "Watch this."

He walks out to the water, and John calls out "Not too far, Dean!" because as their father he's obligated to do so. Dean grins and waves at him, but John knows he'll obey.

The seven-year-old walks into the river until the water rushes around his calves, about an inch above his ankles. Sam follows, but squeals from the cold. Dean rolls his eyes as he dunks the stones in the water.

"Dean don't wose it!" the toddler cries out.

"Relax, you wuss, I've got it," Dean calls back.

"Dean, talk nice to your brother," John reprimands.

Dean walks back to his little brother and shows him the rock, which is now shiny from the water, its colours vibrant under the burning sun. Sam crows in delight and claps his chubby hands at the sight. Dean carefully places the pebble in his outstretched palm, and his fingers close over it immediately.

"Hey, Sammy, I know a game! How about you find me rocks? They need to be as flat as possible. And then I can make them skip on the water like dad taught me! What do you say?"

"Can I keep some and you can make them pwetty?"

"Sure Sammy, but you gotta give me some throwable stones too okay?"

"Yes!"

The boys play the entire afternoon, splashing water at each other, and once Sam even attempts to dump the water-filled bucket over John's lap, who pretends to go berserk like a gorilla at that. He makes sure they're covered in enough suncream and laughs as they run around, even picking both Sam and Dean up and throwing them over his shoulder, then pretending to throw them into the river. Especially Sam screams deafeningly loud at that, but Dean laughs, so Sam knows it's okay.

John smiles to himself. _This is how it should've been_ , he thinks to himself. _You should be here, Mary. I miss you so much._

But at the end of the day, he smiles and kisses his boys. Dean, who can swim already and ventured out into the water more, thus washing off some of the suncream and ending up slightly burned, squirms under John's touch, but Sammy makes grabby hands at him, indicating he wants to be picked up and carried to the Impala, which was parked in the shade. John does so, and as he drives to the next motel, he watches his boys sleep in the backseat, Dean's cheeks red and extra freckled, Sammy's hands clutching a pile of drying stones.

It's a sunny day.

John pretends the specs of dust swirling in the beam of sunlight next to him are Mary, sitting in the passenger seat, reaching out her hand to place on his knee.

And while his sons sleep in the backseat, blissfully ignorant of all the darkness that fills this world, John cries.

But it's a sunny day.

For one day, he can pretend he's ignorant too.


End file.
